Continued from previous post:
…I don’t think I really knew how serious my mom was about her request — don’t pet the lions — until I got home. I scheduled my trip so that I could spent the night with her before heading back to my den. We were talking about the trip, looking at pictures, laughing about the things I struggled to take out of my suitcase, and she says… “Hey Kath, I didn’t want to show you this until you got home because I didn’t want you to get any crazy ideas. But now I’d like you to watch it because… I love it so much and I know you’ll love it because it involves a lion.” It was a 1 minute video called The Hug of the Century about a lion who is reunited with a person who rescued him as a cub. Not sure how to do a hyperlink, so you can copy and paste it from here: http://www.vitality101.com/Fun/lion-kisses-rescuer I dare you to watch this and not be totally overcome with a craving to be received this way.

I laughed and wept and gave my mom the hug of a lifetime after watching it. I won’t spoil the surprise, but I’ll say this. This is a glorious picture of what it feels like to be rescued. To know that we don’t have to be afraid. To know that the slightest turn toward rescue will be met with the embrace of a lifetime, not a growl or a bite.

So mom, I guess my response to your question would be a little different today. As I slow down to wrestle through this question of fear, I guess I’d have to promise not to pet the wrong lion. Not to pet the lion that devours but to pet the Lion of Judah. The one who rescues. The one who saves.